Deja & Rashad, Jr.

Current Residents, Austin

Deja’s father was always her biggest champion, so when he was recently killed in a tragic accident, her world came crashing down. “I struggled with my education after his death,” she says, “but shortly after he died I also received my greatest blessing: my son Rashad, Jr.”

As she began searching for childcare resources, she came across Jeremiah Program. “What caught my attention was the fact that the organization is built on supporting the child’s education, as well as the mother’s. I wanted to be a part of a community that cared about me and my child.”

This past March, Deja joined Jeremiah Program Austin, finding here a support system she had been lacking. “With empowerment training, I learned that I am lovable, important and valuable. I learned how to be strong for my son. I want to be a role model for him and the truth I found in empowerment is helping me do that. Jeremiah is helping me mend parts of me that felt broken and lost.”

Deja is also learning how to set financial and academic goals— and to continue building self-confidence in herself as a parent and a student. She is in her second year at Austin Community College studying criminal justice. She intends on becoming a juvenile probation officer. “The independence and strength I gain from Jeremiah will allow me to achieve my biggest dream.”